


Red to Black

by TwilightsFlamingRose (VarjoRuusu)



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AU, Axel is a shit, Fluffy, M/M, Multi, Namine is a baby, angsty, it's cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-04 15:26:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5339117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VarjoRuusu/pseuds/TwilightsFlamingRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sora is sent away to visit his uncle one summer and then finds out he is not allowed to return home. Eventually he escapes and returns to the Destiny Islands, but when he gets there everything has changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red to Black

**Author's Note:**

> This was posted on ff.net about 8 years ago. It has been majorly overhauled and is now being reposted here. Anyone who recognizes similarities to this work and ff.net, well, you've been in this fandom too long and you're awesome. Please enjoy this new and much less dark version. I've read through to try and catch any mistakes but if anyone spots anything feel free to point it out.

Sora was never accused of being the smartest kid anywhere in the Destiny Islands, much the opposite in fact if you went simply by his school GPA. Unlike his cousin, Roxas, who was a protégée in a number of things from music to math, Sora only just got by. The only thing he had truly ever cared about was being just like his father, a professional skateboarder. By the age of twelve, while Roxas was doing college level math and playing Mozart with his eyes closed, Sora had just mastered a double kick flip with a180 twist.

It wasn't that Sora was academically stupid, exactly, he just really didn't care at all. Most of the subjects that they studied in school bored him and so he ignored them. The argument could actually be made that Sora was just as smart as Roxas, but lacked the same drive. Certainly for academia, but not for sports. While Sora had hardly put an effort into his schooling from the time he was ten, to the time he was fifteen, he had been well on his way to launching into the pro-skateboarding circle in the Destiny Islands largest city, High Tower City, on the biggest Island, Destiny Proper.

That had changed the summer he was turning sixteen, when he was sent to visit Hollow Bastion, and his father's brother, Leon. Hollow Bastion was Sora's favorite place in the world and Leon was his favorite uncle. He was going to be there for a month out of the summer, but after he arrived things had changed drastically and Sora found out he wasn't allowed to go home. Leon had turned cruel in a matter of days and locked Sora away in a tiny room deep in the castle of Hollow Bastion, telling him that his family was too poor to keep him and that his father, Cloud, wanted nothing more to do with him.

Nearly two years later Sora finally escaped and returned to Destiny Proper where he found out that his father had left his mother, Naomi, after she gave birth to a baby girl. He had taken everything of value in the house, leaving only ten munny in a jar over the fireplace for Naomi to support her two month old baby and herself.

The first time Sora had made it home he had been scared. He hadn't seen his mother in over two years now, and he didn't know if she had wanted to send him away or if it was only his father. He knocked cautiously and when the door swung open he came face to face with Roxas. Moments later he found himself engulfed in a desperate hug which he returned with as much force as he could. He had missed Roxas terribly.

“You came back,” his cousin whispered, words muffled in Sora's hair.

“I'm sorry it took so long,” Sora said, trying to hold back the tears that were spilling from his eyes.

“Come inside, your mother will want to see you,” Roxas said as he pulled back and Sora shifted uncomfortably.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I'm sure,” Roxas shook his head.

“What about the baby?” Sora asked, glancing over Roxas' shoulder into the warm house.

“You know about Naminé?

“That's her name?” Sora craned his neck, now curious to see the new addition to his family.

“Sora...Come on, come see your mother and sister. I'll tell you what happened later, ok?” Roxas said, taking hold of Sora's arm and pulling him inside.

The reunion with his mother had been tearful and full of apologies. He didn't tell her what had happened while he was in Hollow Bastion, she hadn't told him how Naminé came to be. It was only later after Sora had showered and changed into some clean sweats and a t-shirt that Roxas had gone home to get for him, that Sora found out the truth.

With his head pillowed in Roxas' lap he listened to how heartbroken his mother had been when Cloud sent Sora away, trying everything to convince him that they would be alright if he came home, and not fall into financial ruin. Cloud hadn't listened and eventually Naomi had drifted away from him, and began an affair with the father of one of Sora's best friends, Kairi. This had resulted in Naminé and Sora grinned briefly thinking now he and Kairi shared a sibling and they really were brother and sister like they had always pretended since they were little children. Neither had been fond of being an only child so they had adopted each other early in their school years.

Cloud had believed that Naminé was his for a while, that she had gotten her strawberry blond hair from him, her nose from Naomi, and her smile from Naomi's mother. But no one could explain her brilliantly lilac eyes, just like Kairi's, who had inherited them from her father's family. Eventually Cloud had walked out, saying he wouldn't stay with Naomi and her lies, accusing her of sleeping with anyone and everyone and asking if this baby wasn't his, why should he believe Sora was? He had been gone two months when Sora returned and Naminé was almost four months old by then. For two months Naomi had worked double shifts at the island hospital as a nurse while Roxas and Kairi babysat Naminé.

Sora sighed as Roxas finished his story and Sora began quietly to tell his own. It was well into the night when he finished, sobbing against Roxas as the horrible memories came back to him. They eventually fell asleep tangled together in a heap of lanky limbs and when Roxas woke Sora was gone.

Sora returned to Destiny Proper and High Tower City and for six months he only went back to the small island he called home every few weeks, to see his sister and leave munny that he earned one shady way or another for his mom. Sometimes she was home, sometimes Roxas was there. Sora never managed to catch Kairi when she was babysitting but they traded messages through Roxas now and then. Sora never asked about his other best friend, preferring to leave as much of the past as could be, forgotten.

*~*~*

“Shhh, Naminé, hey, it’s ok,” Sora whispered as he rocked the ten month old girl gently, trying to settle her crying.

For the first time in several weeks he was home and, having heard Naminé's cries as soon as he opened the door, he had taken pity on his exhausted mother and tried to comfort the child.

“You look like you could use some help,” an amused voice floated over from the doorway. 

Sora turned and glared at Roxas, leaning against the door frame and grinning. “I'm fine,” he mumbled. “What are you doing here, you're supposed to be...”

“I know, I know, I'm supposed to be on Destiny Proper with my dad and his fishing boats. I got bored, and I heard you were coming back tonight. I wanted to see how you were doing."

“I'm fine,” Sora muttered again. “And where did you hear that? And what are you even doing here, it's almost three in the morning. You could have waited until tomorrow.”

“The last time you spent the night, you skipped out before breakfast. Didn't even leave me a note,” Roxas smirked as he pushed away from the door frame and took Naminé from Sora, bouncing her gently on his hip. She giggled. “And lets just say, I heard it from the streets,” he said, leaving the sentence hanging.

Sora sighed and sunk into the recliner next to the crib, burying his hands in his tangled spiky hair.

“How do you do that?” he asked, as Naminé gurgled happily and stuck her thumb in her mouth, already half asleep. His cousin was subtle with his wording, but not subtle enough and Sora was not happy with the implication that his words had left hanging in the air.

Roxas smiled as he lay the little girl in her crib and tucked a blanket around her, her eyes sliding shut and sleep instantly overtaking her.

“At the moment?” Roxas asked. “I'd imagine because you stink. You need a shower. And when was the last time you washed that thing?”

Sora glanced down at the trench coat he wore, the last remnants of Hollow Bastion. It was a sturdy canvas thing, but he wasn't sure he even remembered the original color anymore. Maybe tan. Now it looked almost black with soot and dirt and water stains from the rain where the waterproofing wax had worn away. He would need to completely wax the entire coat after it was clean.

“I have no idea,” he said finally, running his hands over his face.

“Go shower, I'm washing that,” Roxas said with authority and Sora sighed, standing and shrugging out of the garment. “I left some new clothes in your room a couple weeks ago,” he added as he walked away toward the laundry room.

Sora glared briefly then heaved a sigh, actually relieved that Roxas was being so stubborn about taking care of him. It was nice, for a change. Even if only for a few hours. He made his way to the bathroom and left his clothes in a pile by the door, turning the shower on and up as hot as he could stand it before stepping in and scrubbing every inch of his skin twice. He eyed the small heart with an X through it tattooed on the inside of his arm before starting on his hair. The tattoo had been a present to himself for his eighteenth birthday three weeks before. The artist had been a nice young woman who wanted to know more then once if he really wanted such a grim image as a broken heart tattooed on him for the rest of his life. Thinking of the tattoo shifted Sora's thoughts to the reason for the tattoo, his friend Riku.

Riku was almost two years older then Sora, a couple of grades above him and Kairi when they were in school, but Sora had always felt like they were all on equal footing. Riku never treated them like they were that much younger then him...well. He did, but not in a mean way. He usually did it more to tease Sora, who was always shorter then Riku and always insisting that one day he'd be taller. Sora chuckled, thinking now that was probably never going to happen. He might be as tall as Riku now, if the other boy hadn't grown anymore, but Sora hadn't grown in over a year and had stubbornly remained around the same height as Roxas.

Riku and Sora had spent so much of their childhood together, sleepovers, pillow fights, a small cave hidden away on a tiny island owned by Riku's family. They had been the best of friends, closer even then Sora and Roxas were. He had missed the dry sense of humor, the pranks on Yuffie and Selphie, the girls down the street, the play fights with wooden swords. Sora hadn't seen Riku since the day he left for Hollow Bastion.

Sora wasn't sure how long he stood there once he finished combing the tangles out of his hair, letting his thoughts wander, but eventually there was a soft knock on the door.

“Sora, I made you food,” Roxas called quietly, so as not to wake his aunt or the baby. His footsteps retreated a moment later and Sora shut off the water.

He dried his hair as he slipped across the hallway into his room, and dug in a drawer with one hand, tossing the towels aside and dressing in clean clothes, sighing contentedly. Living in the gutter made it easy to forget how nice it was to be clean.

When he wandered into the kitchen a few minutes later, Roxas took one look at him and had to smother his laugh in a kitchen towel.

“Your hair,” his cousin snickered and Sora flipped him off, sitting down at the table where a giant plate of french toast waited for him.

Roxas sniggered. Sora's shirt was black with red stars on it and across the front is said 'Practice Contraception. Go F**k Yourself.'

“Nice shirt,” said Roxas as he sat across from Sora. “Maybe next time I get mad at Axel, I'll get one of those.”

This time it was Sora who had to smother a loud laugh at the thought of preppy straitlaced Roxas wearing that kind of a shirt just because his boyfriend had pissed him off. In fact eighty percent of the laughter came from imagining the look on Axel's face when he saw Roxas.

Roxas grinned, knowing full well what his cousin was thinking and shook his head. “How is he?”

“You haven't seen him?” Sora asked, confused. Roxas and Axel had been practically inseparable for the last five years.

“He's been a bit...elusive. He's said he's been busy.”

Sora frowned, not sure he should fill Roxas in on the illegal activities that Axel had been elbow deep in the last few weeks. He shook his head and looked at his plate.

“He's alright. Not in trouble,” he assured Roxas.

“Good.” Roxas looked relieved, but still troubled.

Sora's grin faded as he looked down at his plate. “How's Riku?” he asked suddenly, not sure why he suddenly directed the topic to his old friend. He could only imagine it was because he had been thinking of him before.

“He's...”Roxas hesitated. “He's alright. His father was killed in a car wreck a few months ago, not long before you came back. Riku is running his father's export company now, and it's thriving. They were nearly bankrupt before, but now...he spends a lot of time in High Tower City, at the company building.”

Sora nodded, somehow unsurprised. Riku's father had been a drinker since Riku's mother died when Riku was ten, and the fact that it had gotten him killed was no real shock. He had read a headline somewhere a month or so back about the company, Nakomi fruit exports, being on the rise since it gained new management. That must have been a result of Riku's takeover.

A quiet cry alerted both the boys to Naminé waking again and Sora went to retrieve his little sister, settling her on his lap when he returned to the kitchen table.

“Are you staying for a while?” Roxas asked. “Your mom would really like having you around.”

Sora signed, his mind bouncing around the complicated situation they were all in. Cloud had walked out, Sora had been sent away. Kairi's father refused to speak to Naomi or acknowledge Naminé. Kairi's mother was a teacher in Radiant Garden and only returned to Destiny Islands once every few months, and she had no idea about Naminé, but Roxas had told Kairi as soon as he found out and she had been thrilled. Kairi had never cared much for either of her parents, but she loved her little half sister dearly, and helped take care of Naomi as if she were her own mother.

Naomi's sister, Roxas' mother, had disowned her sister as soon as she had found out that Naminé wasn't Cloud's child and hadn't spoken to her since before Naminé was even born. Roxas' father had offered Naomi help with the bills, but she had refused, too proud to take the charity of others. She allowed Roxas and Kairi to help because they didn't try to offer her money, just help with the baby and sometimes the house.

Sora had been exhausted when he had heard all of this, but he remembered every word of it and he knew he would never be able to repay his cousin for all the help he had given to Sora's mother over the last several months.

“That little one is hungry,” Roxas noted when Naminé's fussing began again. He stood up and pulled a bottle out of the fridge to warm up, taking the baby from Sora when it was ready.

“Thanks, Rox,” Sora said, pulling himself out of his thoughts and smiling at his sister as she sucked greedily at the bottle. He really did love her with all his heart, but he had never been good with kids, of any age.

“That's what family is supposed to be for, Sor, it's no problem,” Roxas smiled.

“I should go...”

“Stay the night, at least. See your mom before she has to go to work. Your coat will be dry by then too, if I put it in the dryer when it's done,” Roxas urged.

Sora sighed tiredly and glanced at the clock. Almost four am now. His mother was due at the hospital at eleven. He could possibly get some sleep, but he needed to get back to High Tower City soon, or he would lose what little standing he had managed to gain.

“I suppose I could stay a little while...” he said uncertainly. He wanted desperately to sleep but he didn't want to wake his mother or Naminé with the dreams he had. When you slept on the streets no one cared how loud you screamed when you woke up from a memory inside a nightmare.

“Would it help if I stayed?” Roxas asked quietly, putting a hand on Sora's shoulder. 

Sora blinked. He must have zoned out again because Naminé was nowhere in sight and there was a dirty burp rag in the sink next to the empty milk bottle.

“Would you?” he asked softly, trying not to break down crying in front of his cousin again.

“Come on,” Roxas said as he pulled Sora up and wrapped an arm around him. They were almost the same age, Roxas a few days younger, but he had always felt like he was the elder of the two, and needed to take care of Sora and protect him. He made sure his cousin was tucked into bed before he turned off the lights and joined him, pulling the too thin body against his own and pretending not to hear the sobbing that wracked the other boy. He just held Sora and combed his fingers through his dark hair until the sobs subsided and Sora was fast asleep.

“Oh, Sora, what have you gotten into?” he whispered when he spotted the tattoo on Sora's arm.

“Roxas?” Sora mumbled. He must not have been totally asleep. “How did you know I'd be here?”

“I heard from someone,” Roxas said evasively.

Sora turned over and glared at his cousin, not leaving the circle of arms around him. “The only person I told was Hayner. He wouldn't have told anyone who isn't...” Sora stopped as he saw the guilty look cross Roxas' face.

“You're running with the gang,” he accused, his blue eyes boring into the matching ones across from him. Roxas nodded slowly.

“Because of Axel?” Sora guessed. It had never been a secret that Axel was high ranked among the XIII street gang of High Tower City. Roxas nodded again and Sora shook his head. “Don't get in too deep, Rox, you'll never get out. He's not worth it.”

“What if he is?” Roxas asked sadly and Sora glanced up at him again, seeing the love on his face. He had been smitten with Alex from the start, but clearly things had gotten far more serious. Not that it surprised him that he didn't know. He and Axel were pretty good friends, but the redhead with a penchant for burning things wasn't exactly the feelings sharing type.

“Don't forget who you are, Roxas. That always comes first,” Sora told him.

“What about you?” Roxas pressed. “You've forgotten who you are. You've forgotten there are people who care about you, love you. You have a home here, you have family, friends.”

“I'm nobody,” Sora mumbled as he buried his head under Roxas' chin.

“You know Riku asks about you, all the time.”

Sora stiffened but didn't pull back. He wasn't sure he wanted to talk about Riku at all, ever.

“He went through hell when you left Sora, especially when you didn't come back. None of us knew, no one would tell us. You were just...gone. And it hurt him. Badly,” Roxas said, his hand running up and down Sora's back soothingly. “He's been looking for you.”

“I'm not worth finding.”

“You should go see him, Sora. Please.”

Sora didn't answer, instead closing his eyes and trying to bury any feelings he had left so deep inside that he truly would become nothing more then a shell. Maybe then it would stop hurting so badly.

*~*~*

“Hello?”

“ _Riku? It's Roxas. Sora just left, he's on his way back to High Tower. I...told him you had been looking for him.”_

“And?” Riku asked, gazing down from the 25th story windows of his office. The sky was dark but the city was alive with light.

“ _I told him he should come see you but…I don't know...he's...broken, damaged. It's not my place to tell you what happened to him in Hollow Bastion, but Riku, it was bad. It changed him.”_

“I just want to see him again,” Riku said, biting his lip.

“ _I know. Maybe he'll come. Right now all we can do is hope he will.”_

“I understand. Thank you, Roxas. Let me know if there's anything I can do.”

“ _I will.”_

*~*~*

Sora really wasn't paying attention to where his feet were taking him. It was the only explanation for how he ended up at the base of the Nakomi building in High Tower City after he got off the train, almost a mile away. He stared up at the dark penthouse and wondered what would happen if he rang the bell for Riku's private home on the top floor.

With a shake of his head Sora turned away, pulling his hood up to keep the rain off his hair. He wandered down the street, not realizing he had been watched while he stood there and that he was now being followed. He was too busy thinking about Riku's home on the small island, the one that for some reason never really got it's own name. Riku's house had been more like a mansion and they had explored all the 'haunted' rooms when they were children, running from flapping curtains and shadows in the closets. They had made a tradition out of spending every Halloween, Riku's birthday, curled up together in a mess of pillows, covers, and junk food. Even when they had been eleven and thirteen they had spent the night tucked under the covers watching every scary movie Riku could get his hands on.

Now they were eighteen and twenty, Sora living on the streets and Riku running his own company. Funny how life turned out.

With a sigh Sora headed for Axel's, knowing he could at least crash on the couch there for tonight before he crawled back to his own little hole in the wall that he had carved out among the other street urchins in the lower reaches of the city. It would be worth the pestering from Axel to be warm for another night. Not that Axel had any problem with Sora staying there, in fact, he was continually trying to get Sora to move in with him, probably at the behest of Roxas, but Sora didn't like the people Axel hung out with most nights, so he continued to decline every time Axel brought it up.

A few blocks later Sora felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and he glanced behind him in time to see a dark hooded figure duck out of sight. He narrowed his eyes and continued walking, turning a corner and quickly scrambling up on a pile of crates to wait for whoever was following him. The hood turned the corner and Sora pounced, landing on the other body and knocking it to the ground, forcing a grunt of surprise from it.

“Why are you following me?” he demanded as he pulled at the hood. Silver hair appeared and Sora gasped, scrambling away from the person underneath him. He stared across the alley at the aquamarine eyes that were watching him cautiously and he drew a shaky breath.

“Riku?” he whispered.

For a long time the only sound was two sets of slightly rugged breathing before Sora bolted.

“Sora! Wait!” Riku called after him but Sora was already running down the alley and ducking into another. He could hear pounding footsteps behind him but he kept running until a weight crashed into his waist and brought him to the ground, another solid body pinning him down.

“Let me go,” he said loudly, struggling to dislodge Riku's weight from him.

“Damnit Sora, stop it,” Riku said, flipping Sora over and sitting on his stomach as well as grabbing his wrists to stop the fists flying toward his face. “Why are you running from me?”

Sora stilled, looking up at what had once been his best friend. He didn't have an answer, really. He supposed it must be something to do with the complete and total lack of any self esteem that he still possessed, but his mind was not ready to supply him with such a logical explanation. All it gave him was fear.

“Where have you been?” Riku asked. His tone wasn't harsh like Sora expected, but gentle, sad. Lost. “I've missed you so much.”

“I thought you'd have forgotten me by now,” Sora said weakly, finally speaking.

“How could I ever forget you?” Riku asked, one hand letting go of Sora's wrist to hesitantly touch the youngers cheek.

“I'm not worth remembering,” Sora whispered and he could swear he saw tears in Riku's eyes. 

“I wish I could understand what's happened to you, Sora,” Riku said, his voice thick with emotion. “You used to be the happiest, most bubbly person I know.”

“Life happened, Riku,” Sora growled. “And life is a fucking bitch.”

Riku flinched and drew away, releasing Sora's other wrist and sitting back and glaring at his friend. “Why won't you let anyone help you?”

“I don't need any help,” Sora growled.

“Damnit Sora,” Riku was nearly shouting. “You're my best friend in the world. Do you have any idea how worried I was about you when you didn't come back? We all worried! Roxas, Kairi, your mom, Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, hell Seifer was worried! My dad grounded me when I wanted to call you, your dad wouldn't even speak to me. I knew something was wrong and there was nothing I could do about it!” By now Riku was crying, his tears mingling with the heavy rain that had started to fall not long after he had tackled Sora. “I was scared, Sora, terrified. For a while I didn't know if you were even still alive.”

Sora shoved Riku off him and sat up, kneeling across from the other and taking in the look on his face. Riku really was scared and that was something Sora had rarely seen. Sora couldn't distinguish tears from rain but he suspected that since he was crying Riku probably was too and his heart clenched.

“What do you want me to say, Riku? That I wish you had come swooping in to save me from an abusive uncle after my father practically sold me because he had run so far into debt drinking away any money he or my mom made? Well no thanks, I did it all on my own.”

“You joined a GANG,” Riku spat accusingly. “You could have come to me when you came home and instead you went and joined the fucking XIII!”

“How the hell do you know about that? Fuck, how does everyone fucking know about that?!” Sora shouted, his anger boiling over.

“Roxas told me,” Riku said as quietly as the noise of the rain allowed. “He thought I should know considering...considering I care about you.”

Sora sucked in a breath wondering if Riku was saying what it sounded like he was saying. It wasn't possible, it couldn't be. Sora shook his head and stood up.

“I don't need anyone to care about me and I sure as hell don't want your pity,” he growled as he walked away. A moment later he was wrenched around by the elbow and his back slammed into the brick wall of the alley as hot lips collided with his. He groaned and his arms automatically circled Riku's waist, pulling their bodies flush as Riku's tongue invaded his mouth. Their eyes locked when Riku pulled back at last, their breathing uneven and rugged.

“How is it pity if I'm in love with you?” he asked.

This time when Sora bolted, Riku didn't follow him.

*~*~*

“Are you serious? What is wrong with you?” Axel shouted as Sora finished recounting his evening. “Why the hell did you run!?”

“Why the hell did you tell Roxas I'm was with the XIII? I fucking told you Axel, when I got out of there, I didn't want anyone to know!”

“He's your family, Sora, and if you won't talk to him, at LEAST, then what the hell am I supposed to do? Let you keep going like this and get yourself killed!?”

“You're one to talk,” Sora groused. “Didn't Xigbar put a bullet in you last month?”

Axel grimaced, unconsciously rotating his still injured shoulder. “Better me then Hayner,” Axel muttered.

Sora shook his head as he collapsed onto the couch, his arm over his eyes. This was such a mess. Everything, all of it. He wasn't sure he could think of a single thing that wasn't a mess right now.

“You're not going to get out, are you?” he asked Axel quietly. “I don't want Roxas messed up in this shit because of you.”

“I know,” Axel said, as he lifted Sora's feet and dropped them across his lap as he sat down. “And no, I'm not getting out, not until I destroy them.”

“How the hell are you going to do that?” Sora asked incredulously, lifting his arm to stare at Axel. “Just because you managed to get Xigbar thrown in jail for trying to murder you...”

“I've got a plan,” Axel smirked. “Actually Isa has a plan, but my plan is better.”

“Isa? You mean your friend who joined the POLICE ACADEMY?”

Axel nodded smugly and it clicked in Sora's head and he almost laughed. “You're an informant, aren't you? Does Roxas know that?” Axel shook his head.

“I'm going to tell him, but he's stubborn and...well...” The redhead was actually blushing.

“You don't talk much when you see each other,” Sora guessed, rolling his eyes.

“Not so much,” Axel chuckled.

“As long as you finish this before anyone else gets hurt,” Sora threatened. “I'll gut you myself if anything happens to Roxas.”

“Don't worry, Isa and his partner are good guys. He and Ienzo will get the job done and we'll take down the XIII for good.”

Sora snorted but nodded, content to ignore Axel for the rest of the night. Lost in thought he didn't notice Axel's deep sigh as the redhead dropped his head on the back of the couch and began to doze off. Sora was too busy thinking about Riku, about the confrontation only hours before.

It had been almost three years now, since he was sent away for the summer and never returned. He had expected all his friends to move on when he hadn't come back or even contacted them. It was strange that what his mind had convinced him seemed to be so far from actual fact. True, he hadn't contacted anyone, really, and only a few people knew he was back. Axel was one of the few people he trusted, him and Roxas. Sora knew Kairi wanted to see him and had missed him terribly, but somehow his mind had entirely convinced him that Riku would never want to see him again. That his friend would have forgotten him, made new friends, grown attached to other people. Sora had been fully prepared just earlier that day, never to see Riku again.

And then Riku had thrown a wrench into it when he caught then kissed Sora. The brunettes lips were still tingling from the fast and hard kiss and his mind was still reeling with the idea that it was Riku that initiated it. He had had a crush on his friend for almost as long as he could remember but he never considered it more then hormones and being around Riku almost constantly. He had nearly forgotten the almost overwhelming desire he'd had to pull Riku close and kiss him the day he told his best friend he was going away for half the summer that they had promised to spend together on the beach. 

He sighed, glancing at Axel, now sound asleep with his arms crossed protectively around Sora's feet, and he grinned. He could easily see why Roxas liked the guy so much, he was the biggest cuddler Sora had ever known. And a romantic to boot. Maybe he was right, maybe Sora should give Riku a chance, tell him what happened. The thought of talking about his time in Hollow Bastion again nearly turned Sora's stomach but he decided that he had to. He owed that much to his friend at least. And after that, if Riku wanted nothing to do with him then Sora would at least know it was with good reason.

Shifting slightly he managed to pull a crumpled picture out of his wallet and smiled, looking down at the faces of himself, Roxas, Kairi, Riku and Axel. He, Roxas and Kairi had been eight, Riku was ten and Axel was twelve. They had all been so happy that summer, still completely carefree.

“Roxassss,” Axel wined in his sleep and Sora rolled his eyes, prodding the redhead in the stomach with his foot.

“Axel quit dreaming about my cousin and get off my bed,” he grumbled, already planning how he was going to dump the significantly taller man on the floor so he could stretch out on the couch and go to sleep.

“Damnit, Sora, that was a nice dream you interrupted,” Axel grumbled.

“Yeah, I could tell,” Sora said dryly, tapping his foot on Axel's lap. “Get lost.”

“You're cruel,” Axel complained as he dumped Sora's feet on the floor and stood, stretching. “You gonna talk to him?” he asked, not turning around as he wandered into the adjoined kitchen.

“Yeah, I think I will,” Sora said as he wrapped himself in a blanket and burrowed down to sleep, sticking a pair of earbuds in his ears. “Try not to make too much noise when you call Roxas will you? These things are good but they're not soundproof.”

Axel chuckled and ruffled Sora's hair as he fished his phone out of his pocked and clicked the speed dial for Roxas. “Yes, mom,” he teased as he made his way to his bedroom and looked back just in time to see Sora's hand flipping him off over the back of the couch.

“ _Hello?”_ Roxas picked up on the second ring.

“You're cousin is evil,” Axel stated before he launched into a recount of everything that Sora had told him. At the end Roxas just sighed smiled. Maybe things were going to start looking up for Sora soon. He could only hope at this point.

*~*~*

“Hi, I'm here to see Riku Nakomi,” Sora said nervously as he stood by the front desk in the Nakomi building.

“He's not taking visitors today,” the receptionist said crisply. “Come back tomorrow.”

“My name is Sora Strife.”

“Young man, I told you-”

“Tell him I'm here,” Sora persisted. He wasn't going to get up the courage to come this far only to be told to come another day.

The receptionist frowned and then pressed a few buttons on her phone before repeating his name and frowning even deeper.

“Go on up, last elevator on the left, the green button,” she said, her glare apparent. Sora grinned briefly and nodded, heading for the elevator.

He tugged his hair as the elevator shot up fifty floors and he glanced down at his clothes. He didn't look too bad. True the trench coat had seen better days, but his clothes were new and clean, thanks to Axel, who had taken to keeping a few sets of clothes in Sora's size around, he suspected once again, on the orders of Roxas. The elevator slowed to a halt and Sora bit his lip as the doors slid open. 

A giant living room greeted him, decorated tastefully, though probably not by Riku. Some interior decorator was more likely. A kitchen was off to one side, open to the rest of the room and there was a door on either side of it. To the other side was another door and then two entire walls of floor to ceiling windows taking up the entire front of the penthouse. Riku was standing at one of the window panels, looking out at the city, his back to Sora as the younger carefully stepped out of the elevator and the doors closed behind him with a quiet hiss.

“I was hoping you'd come,” Riku said, soft enough that Sora almost didn't hear him. “I'm...sorry about yesterday.”

Sora shook his head with a small smile. “Don't apologize, I'm the one who ran away.”

“I meant about kissing you.”

Sora laughed this time. He had woken in much better spirits today, the idea that Riku was still his best friend lifting his mood more then even seeing his sister for the first time had. He knew at the end of the day Riku may hate him, but he was determined to make the most of the time he had before that happened.

“Is that what you're worried about?” he asked as he stood by Riku and bumped their shoulders together.

Riku raised his eyebrow at Sora then grinned, enveloping the younger in a hug that was enthusiastically returned.

“So,” Sora sighed as he pulled away. “I guess I owe you an explanation huh?”

“It would be nice,” Riku nodded, not letting go of Sora as he let him to sit on one of the enormous couches.

“Well...this is going to be hard, ok? The only other person I've told is Roxas and that was hard enough.”

“Take your time, Sora,” Riku assured him.

Sora took a deep breath and began his tale, his hands still clutched in Riku's glad for the lifeline.

“My dad told me I had to go spend a month with my uncle, Leon, in Hollow Bastion. It was ok at first, though I did wonder why no one called or wrote to me. The month was over and then another one passed, then another. I didn't see Leon, I couldn't leave on my own, I was stuck. Then eventually he told me that I was never going home because my parents were too poor to keep me and still support themselves.

It got worse after that. He kept be locked in a room in the bottom of the castle, he owns the castle in Hollow Bastion, and only fed me once a day. The woman who brought the food was nice enough, she usually brought a little extra and tried to make it a bit more bearable. She didn't know who I was, she couldn't see inside, but she was kind anyway.

Mostly I was alone, but every once in a while Leon would come and he would...he would beat me,” Sora closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. He thought he was doing much better this time, but this point in his story he had been sobbing in Roxas' chest and his words were almost entirely unintelligible.

Riku stiffened across from him, fire boiling in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to kill Sora's father and uncle.

“Where did he hit you?” Riku asked when Sora didn't continue.

“I...” Sora paused and sighed, pulling his hands back and standing. He shrugged out of the trench coat and dropped it over the arm of the couch, pulling his shirt over his head as he turned his back to Riku.

Riku hissed at what he saw, deep scars all along Sora's back. Some were paler then others, obviously older, but they were still there. He stopped counting the individual lines at thirty, when he began to feel sick. Standing up he touched Sora's shoulder gently and when Sora didn't protest he ran his fingers slowly down the largest scar, a line directly from Sora's left shoulder to his right hip.

Sora shivered and closed his eyes, unwilling to be ashamed of his scars. Riku was too close to be shy now and he loved the warmth at his back as strong arms enveloped him in a hug.

“Was there...more?” Riku asked with mild hesitation. His arms were still wrapped around Sora and he wasn't in a mind to let go any time soon.

Sora nodded and leaned his weight against Riku. “When I finally got away, and made it home...There was nowhere for me to go. My dad had left and my mom...do you know about Naminé?” he asked and Riku nodded.

“Roxas called me as soon as he knew you were back. We'd kept in touch anyway, while you were...gone. He explained everything about your dad and Naminé and Kairi's dad.”

Sora nodded. “I came here, to High Tower City, and...well. I got into some rough stuff. Do you remember Axel?”

“Roxas' boyfriend? Yeah. Sora, isn't he...”

“I crashed with him for a while and I joined up with the XIII for a few weeks. It wasn't long, long enough to know I preferred living on the streets to being in a gang. I got out and found a place in the lower reaches to crash and I've been working odd jobs at the dockyards ever since. I try and save as much as I possibly can and take it to my mom every few weeks to help with Naminé but...”

Riku's arms tightened as he pulled Sora back to sit with him on the couch, tucking the spiky brown hair under his chin as he held Sora.

“I thought you would have forgotten me,” Riku said quietly. Sora chuckled as the tears finally fell.

“We're both kinda dumb, aren't we?” he said. “I thought you'd forget me, you thought I'd forget you. I could never forget you Riku.” Sora tilted his head up to look in Riku's aquamarine eyes. “You're too important,” he whispered.

“Sora...” Riku said quietly, trying to quell the urge to lean forward and kiss him again, not sure if it would be welcomed.

“If you're going to kiss me just do it,” Sora demanded, already breathless just from the look in Riku's eyes. Lips slammed against his and Sora's eyes closed, a loud moan ripping from his throat as Riku pushed him back against the couch and covered his body with his larger one.

Sora grinned as he dug his hands into Riku's silver hair, lifting his hips to rub against the hard bulge he could feel pressed against his hip and Riku groaned, his breath stuttering as he returned the motion.

“Sora,” he said shakily as the brunettes lips wandered down and attached to his throat.

“Riku, are you going to talk, or are you going to fuck me?”

Riku's eyes shot open and he looked down at Sora, who was smiling mischievously at him, his pupils blown wide with lust. “I love you,” he said quietly, hoping it would convey everything he wasn't sure he could say. He wanted Sora, desperately, but he couldn't have this be a one time thing, or even an affair. He cared too much. He saw Sora's eyes soften and he knew the other had understood him.

“I know, Riku. I love you too, so much,” he whispered before they kissed again. “Now quit talking and lose that shirt.”

*~*~*

When Sora woke the next morning he was sprawled across a king sized bed and a sheet was tucked around his waist. He rubbed a hand over his face and rolled on his back as he smiled, remembering the previous night. He glanced around the room, but it was empty, no sign of Riku. Just as he was about to shout annoyingly loud at the empty room he heard voices and he took the sheet and tiptoed out into the hall.

“Yeah, yeah I know,” Riku's voice was saying. “Can't we reschedule this? A personal matter came up and I really can't...yeah...you're sure? Alright, Yuffie, I'll be there. Yeah. Yeah say hi to Tidus for me.” Riku signed as he hung up the phone and jumped when Sora's arms wrapped around his waist.

“Damnit, Sora!” he shouted as he turned and attacked the younger, tickling him mercilessly while Sora squealed and tried to get away. It ended with them in a heap on the floor, the sheet gone and Riku's dressing gown disheveled and open and warm flesh pressed together in all the right places while two mouths occupied themselves with each other.

“Don't scare me like that,” Riku admonished as he sucked a fresh bruise on Sora's neck to go with the three that were already there from the night before.

“Who was on the phone?” Sora giggled as he pressed his hips up teasingly. To his surprise Riku gave a groan that was far from pleasure filled and buried his face in Sora's neck mumbling.

“Can't hear you when you're talking to my clavicle,” Sora pointed out with a grin.

“Yuffie,” Riku muttered. “From down the road, remember? She runs the sales research department of the company. Some emergency's come up and I have to go to Port Royal to deal with it.”

“When?”

Riku glanced at his phone. “In an hour?”

Sora sighed and rolled his eyes, pushing Riku off of him. “Do we have time to shower?” he asked, tilting his head with a smirk.

Riku nodded and dragged him into the bathroom. “And when I get back,” he said as he pressed the other into the shower under the warm water. “We're having a talk about your situation. You're not living on the streets anymore, and I am more then willing to give you an honest job and pay you ridiculous amounts of money for it so you can support your mom and Naminé. It's not like I can't afford it and don't you dare say no or tell me I'm giving you charity.”

Sora raised and eyebrow at the end of Riku's small rant but he smiled. “As long as I'm busy at least four days a week I won't consider it charity. And as long as it's challenging.”

“That shouldn't be to hard, Mr. I failed 4th grade language,” Riku smirked.

“Hey!” Sora yelped, poking Riku in the chest with a wet finger. “You failed 2nd grade math!” Riku just shrugged and let his hands wander.

Half an hour later they stumbled out of the shower on weak knees and Riku got dressed while Sora watched him, lounging naked on the bed.

“How long will you be gone?” he asked, yawning loudly.

“A couple of days I guess,” Riku said as he pulled his coat on. “You're more then welcome to stay here, or I can give you some munny if you want to go home for a while. See your mom.” Sora shrugged and Riku rolled his eyes, dropping 1000 munny on the bed and kissing Sora deeply before he whispered 'I love you' and left.

Sora rolled over and grinned at the ceiling. He could hardly believe how good he felt. Yesterday he had been terrified that Riku would hate him after he seeing his scars and hearing his story, how he was too weak to get away from his uncle, but the careful reassurances and obvious love Riku had given him at every turn had put his mind at ease and now he felt almost like he was floating on a cloud. His life had just taken a drastic turn, this time for the better. If Riku could give him a job that he could work hard at and felt he deserved he would take it and he would be able to support his mother and sister. 

For the first time in years Sora felt as if he wasn't completely surrounded by darkness, but instead by light and hope.

*~*~*

Two days of bliss was all Sora had before once more his life took a spectacular nosedive. He was sitting on Riku's couch eating a bowl of ice cream when his cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, expecting it to either be Roxas or Axel, but instead it was a number he didn't know. With a frown he accepted the call.

“Hello?”

“ _Am I speaking with Sora Kutani?”_ a female voice asked.

“Yes?” Sora thought it was odd that someone was using his mother's name instead of his father's but he supposed that his mother would have listed him under her name after Cloud had left.

“ _Mr. Kutani, I'm afraid I have bad news. Your mother is in the hospital and she's very ill.”_

Sora's heart stopped. “Is she ok?” he asked desperately. He couldn't lose his mom, not now.

“ _Mr. Kutani...I would advise you come to Sanctuary Hospital as soon as you are able. Her condition is...deteriorating.”_

Sora hung up the phone numbly and dialed Roxas.

“ _Sora?”_ Axel's voice came through the phone after the first ring.

“Axel, I need to talk to Roxas, now,” Sora said stiffly as he stood, putting the ice cream in the sink and pulling his shoes on.

“ _Sure, sure.”_ Axel handed the phone over, though Sora could still hear him in the background making funny noises at something.

“ _Sora?”_ Roxas voice asked.

“Roxas,” Sora breathed. “My mom...the hospital just called. They said she's...sick.”

“ _Shit,”_ Roxas muttered.

“Where's Naminé?” Sora asked as he pulled on his coat and pressed the button for the elevator.

“ _She's right here,”_ Roxas said and Sora knew what the noises Axel had been making were. He was playing with the baby.

“I'm on my way now...can you...can you go be with her? It didn't sound good,” Sora said around the lump in his throat.

“ _Of course. I'll call Kairi on my way.”_

“Thank you, Roxas.”

Sora hung up as the elevator reached the ground floor, the munny Riku had given him in his pocket. He asked if he could get a taxi at the front desk and soon he was at the docks, getting on the ferry to his small island.

He was terrified. If he lost his mom he didn't know what he would do. He was only eighteen, he didn't know anything about babies. He only saw Naminé occasionally and he didn't have the first clue about taking care of her. And how was he supposed to work to support her and take care of her at the same time? It had been better for his mom, being on the island where Roxas and Kairi could help, but Sora would be in High Tower and there wouldn't be anyone to help him. And Riku...he had no idea what Riku think. He considered calling him but then realized that he would be on his way home and unreachable.

The ferry pulled into the small harbor and Sora was the first off the boat, running the short distance to the hospital where he didn't stop until he was at the check in desk.

“I'm here to see Naomi Kutani,” he said a little breathlessly as he leaned on his knees. “I'm her son.” The woman behind the desk nodded and told him the room number, buzzing him through to the main wing of the hospital. Roxas met Sora outside her room and hugged his cousin.

“She's got pneumonia,” Roxas told him. “And she didn't get treatment for it soon enough...Sora they don't think she's going to make it.”

Sora gulped and nodded. “We live on a fucking island,” he said quietly. “A warm island.” But even so, pneumonia wasn't entirely unheard of. The rainstorms they had could be near freezing cold and dangerous in more then one way.

Turning away from Roxas, Sora entered his mothers room and felt the tears spring to his eyes as he saw her lying in her hospital bed, already pale as death.

“Oh mom,” he said as he took her hand. She stirred, smiling up at him.

“Sora. Roxas said you were on your way. I'm so glad you're here,” she whispered. Any louder would have set off another fit of coughing and the doctors had told her another might kill her.

“I love you mom, please don't go,” Sora said, holding her hand tighter. “I need you, Naminé needs you.”

“Oh, Sora, you'll be fine my darling. I know you'll take good care of your sister. You're a strong young man and you can do anything.”

“Mom...” Sora sobbed as his mother closed her eyes and her breathing evened out. The heart rate monitor beeped steadily then jumped, getting slower and slower before it was just a whine in the empty room.

Arms were around Sora as a doctor came and turned off the machines and Sora turned into Roxas' embrace, sobbing into his cousins shoulder.

They left the room a while later and Roxas handled all the immediate paperwork while Sora sat and started at the wall, signing his name occasionally.

“What will you do now?” Roxas asked when it was done and they were outside the hospital, walking slowly to Sora's home, hand in hand. It may have looked odd to an outsider but Roxas knew Sora needed the anchor now.

“I don't know,” he shrugged. “Riku offered me a job, a good one. I guess I take it and I take care of Naminé. She comes first now, over everything.”

“Don't forget, you're not alone,” Roxas said squeezing his hand.

“Sora!”

Sora looked up from where his and Roxas' hands were joined and all he saw was a black and violet blur before thin arms enveloped him and he was forced to step back to keep his balance as another body attached to his.

“Kairi?” he asked, pushing her back a little to get a good look at her. She was wearing a black t-shirt and black shorts, as well as black shoes. Her violet-blue eyes were ringed in dark eyeliner and her hair was a deep purple shade that went surprisingly perfectly with her skin.

“Wow,” he breathed. “I know you said you'd go goth as soon as you were out of school but I never thought you'd really do it.”

Kairi smiled and he noticed the thin lip piercing on the left side of her mouth, as well as the row of hoops up her right ear.

“Sora, I'm so sorry about your mom, I should have noticed she was sicker then she let on,” Kairi said as she looked at the ground.

“Hey it's not your fault,” Sora said, crushing her in a hug. “Don't even think that.” Kairi sniffed and hugged him tightly.

Sora pulled back again and squinted at her. “Please tell me you didn't leave my baby sister with that redheaded pyro,” he said suspiciously. He looked over her head at his house and sure enough there was Axel with Naminé on his hip, bouncing her as she giggled.

“She's my baby sister too,” Kairi chuckled. “And I trust Axel, he'd good with her.”

“If he teaches her any bad habits,” Sora warned and Roxas rolled his eyes, taking his cousins arm and leading him to the house.

“How about we start with diaper duty?” Axel grinned as he handed Naminé to Sora who blanched. He'd hadn't yet manage to have the unpleasant honor of changing a diaper and he had very much hoped it would stay that way for many more years.

“You've got a lot to learn, Sora,” Kairi chuckled as they entered the house.

A few weeks passed smoothly after that, with Kairi and Roxas alternating days helping Sora with Naminé until he really got the hang of it himself. Riku had been delayed coming back from Port Royal and when he did return and heard the news he had taken the first ferry to the island to see Sora, arriving just as they were leaving for Naomi's funeral. Riku had stood beside Sora, holding him quietly as Naomi was lowered into the ground, then talked quietly with Kairi and Roxas while Sora took Naminé home, saying he wanted to be alone with his sister.

“Sora mentioned you had a job for him,” Roxas said once his cousin was out of earshot.

Riku nodded. “It's not...time consuming, but it is a challenge. I remember Sora did a lot of art when he was younger, always trying to design the perfect skateboard.”

Roxas and Kairi chuckled and nodded.

“We're expanding. Yuffie wants to open at least five more branches and we need designs, for new ships, buildings, everything.”

“And you want Sora to design everything?” Roxas asked.

“He can do it wherever he wants, the company pays for all the materials he needs, paper, computer, whatever, and it pays a hefty sum. He'll be comfortable and there will be more then enough to put aside for Naminé's school when she's older.”

“What about you?” Roxas asked, his eyes critical.

“What about me?” Riku asked.

“He told me what you said.”

Kairi chose that moment to make a tactical retreat and pay her respects to Naomi's sister who had arrived late, but still seemed upset that her only sister was dead, despite what she seemed to have thought of her.

Riku sighed. “I...it's his call. I can understand if he doesn't want to pursue a relationship because he wants to take care of his sister but...I would be more then happy to have them both with me. Naminé is a beautiful child, full of light and laughter. But it's up to Sora. I won't push him.”

“Just make sure he knows that,” Roxas said. “He's afraid you won't want him now that he and his sister come as a package deal.”

Riku chuckled. “If anything it makes the package more appealing,” he admitted. “Adoption is hard and...well...now I don't have to talk him into it,” he grinned and Roxas laughed.

Eventually Riku was called back to work and didn't have a chance to talk to Sora and before he knew it almost a month had passed since the funeral. He had finally managed to extract himself from the business long enough to take a month of vacation and he was on his way back to High Tower City to call Sora and ask if he could stay with him for a while when a dog ran in front of him and he swerved the car sharply. The front end missed the dog and crashed into the barrier, which crumpled and sent the car careening into the cold water below.

*~*~*

The day before Halloween Sora flipped on the TV and froze as soon as he heard the words out of the reporters mouth.

“ _ **This just in, the head of Nakomi Fruit Exports, Riku Nakomi, has been involved in a serious automobile accident. His car was seen jumping the rail on the bridge between Destiny Proper and Destiny East, where Nakomi exports mainly operates. His car was retrieved, but the damage is severe and there has been no contact from Mr. Nakomi since the accident. He is currently listed as missing, and presumed dead. Mr. Nakomi would have celebrated twenty-first birthday tomorrow.”**_

Sora’s world crashed to a halt. He gasped trying to take a breath with his frozen lungs as the story recapped before cutting off to something entirely unrelated.

The phone rang, but Sora couldn't answer it, he couldn't move. He collapsed into a chair as he started to sob. Riku was dead. It wasn't possible. Riku couldn't be dead. Sora had it all planned. Yuffie was going to make sure Riku got there for his birthday the next day. Sora had already gotten the junk food, the movies, and made a cake. It was supposed to be perfect.

*~*~*

“ _Hello?”_

“Kairi, the news-”

“ _I saw it, I'm on my way to Sora's now,”_ she interrupted Roxas.

“Ok, me too,” he said, hanging up the phone. He was closer and was already almost to the doorstep. He didn't bother knocking, just pushed the door open and looked around for his cousin.

“Sora?” he called. He heard a sob in the living room and rushed in to find Sora in tears in front of the couch. He wasted no time and wrapping his arms around his cousin and holding him tightly, letting the sobs be muffled in his hoodie.

“Are you ok?” he asked finally, tilting Sora's head up to look in his eyes. Sora shook his head, unable to speak.

Kairi sank down on the other side of him, having let herself in, and wrapped her arms around them both, her own tears falling silently.

“Sora, they didn't find a body, he could still be alive,” she tried to reassure him but he shook his head, hiccuping.

“He's gone, Kairi. Everyone is gone. Everyone leaves me,” he said harshly, trying to wipe away his tears. “My dad left me, my mom left me, Riku left me. Everyone leaves.”

“Sora,” Roxas said, forcing his cousin to look at him. “I swear, right here and now, I will never leave you, you understand me? Not everyone will leave you, I promise you that.”

Sora nodded after a moment and buried his face in Roxas' neck again, shuddering with sobs while Roxas held him. In the other room Naminé started to cry.

“I'll get her,” Kairi said softly when Sora made to move. He nodded slightly and returned to his place against Roxas.

The phone rang but Roxas made no move to pick it up, since Sora wouldn't let go of him. He sighed, assuming the answering machine would pick it up. It was late, almost ten o'clock and he knew Sora was going to need sleep after this. He also worried that his cousin might fall back into the deep depression he had been in before he had, at least briefly, sorted things out with Riku.

It was hard, obviously, and they hadn't seen each other since the funeral, but they talked when they could and they both knew that what was between them wasn't gone, just on hold for a while. Roxas knew Riku was supposed to come to Sora's house for a while and he hoped after that Sora would move to High Tower City with Riku, but now it seemed once again the world had tilted upsidown.

“He should sleep,” Kairi said from the doorway, Naminé on her hip, happily sucking on a bottle.

Roxas nodded and pulled Sora up, half carrying him to his room and tucking him into bed. He stayed until Sora cried himself to sleep then carefully extracted himself to go check on Kairi. She was sitting at the kitchen table, her head buried in her arms, while Naminé played on the floor nearby. The phone rang again.

“Hello?” Roxas said as he picked it up.

“ _Roxas, I need to talk to him.”_

Roxas' breath caught. It couldn't be, could it? “Riku?”

“ _Please, Roxas, I need to tell him I love him,”_ Riku begged.

“I'll get him,” Roxas said, but when he reached Sora's room he was gone and his window was open, letting drops of water be splashed in by the downpour outside. “Riku, he's gone, he went out the window. And the weather is bad. I don't know where he's going...”

“ _I do. Don't worry, I'll find him.”_

Riku snapped the phone shut and turned around running toward the dock where their small fishing boats were moored. Sure enough one was missing and there was a faint light bobbing in the water near the small island where he and Sora had discovered a cave when they were young. Without a second thought Riku jumped in one of the boats and started to row, hoping that Sora would at least get to the Island safely.

“Sora!” he shouted as soon as the boat hit the sand and he jumped out, dragging it up out of the water next to the second boat. He looked around trying to see through the downpour and finally saw Sora standing by the tree they always sat on, face turned into the wind, unable to hear him over the wind and the rain.

Riku ran up to the small shack and sprinted up the stairs, out across the platform to where Sora stood, shouting his name again. This time Sora turned and looked at him with wide, bloodshot eyes.

“Stay away from me!” he shouted, stumbling back.

“Sora!”

“No! You're dead!”

Riku ran forward and grabbed Sora around the waist before he could fall, pulling the younger against him tightly. “I'm not dead, Sora, I swear. I'm here, and I love you with all my heart.”

“Riku?” Sora asked cautiously, his hair plastered to his face by the torrential rain. “Is that really you?”

“It's me,” Riku smiled. “I'm ok. I promise.”

“Riku,” Sora sobbed and then they were kissing, paying no attention to the rain that had already long since soaked them to the skin, causing them both to shiver slightly.

“I want you to come live with me, Sora, both you and Naminé,” Riku told him as he pulled back, brushing the wet hair away from Sora's forehead.

“Really?” Sora asked as he looked up at Riku through his equally wet silver hair.

“Really. I love you Sora, and I love Naminé. I want you both to make a home with me, forever.”

“Forever sounds kinda nice,” Sora said with a smile.

“I love you,” Riku said again as he leaned down and kissed Sora.

“I love you too, Riku,” Sora breathed against Riku's lips. “Forever.”

“Forever.”

**The End**

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Now, I know that was a bit of an abrupt ending but I promise, there will be a sequel. I always planned it but never had a plot and now I do. The sequel will revolve around Axel and Roxas, and Axel taking down the XIII. And it will be written. Someday.


End file.
